[Tweeters] Billy Frank Jr NWR Wednesday Walk for 2/14/2024

[Gayle Stebbings]

Sent from my iPhone


> On Feb 15, 2024, at 11:22, Shep Thorp <shepthorp at gmail.com> wrote:

> 

> 

> Hi Tweets,

> 

> Approximately 35 of us endured a cold foggy morning with partly cloudy skies for 1-2 hours around noon, then cloudy skies with light rain in the afternoon and temperatures in the 30's to 40's degrees Fahrenheit.  There was a High 15'4" Tide at 8:39am and a Low 1'6" Tide at 3:22pm.  Highlights included FOY MOURNING DOVE in the Orchard, and FOY TOWNSEND'S WARBLER along the east side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail with a mixed flock including 20+ YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.  Nice looks of DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, and WILSON'S SNIPE around the Twin Barns.  Good looks of 6+ WESTERN SANDPIPER mixed in with a large flock of DUNLIN on the mudflats north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail.  And continuing immature male WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in McAllister Creek with a large group of SURF SCOTER.

> 

> For the day, we observed 72 species, and with FOY Mourning Dove, Townsend's Warbler, and a heard only HUTTON'S VIREO near the Visitor Center, we have observed 98 species this year.  Mammals seen included a Mink seen in the slough adjacent to the Twin Barns (there have been reports of observed Mink from the west entrance to the Twin Barns Loop Trail to the Twin Barns Observation Platform), Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Eastern Gray Squirrel, and Harbor Seal.  See eBird list pasted below with notes on locations.

> 

> Until next week when we meet again, happy birding.

> 

> Shep

> 

> --

> Shep Thorp

> Browns Point

> 253-370-3742

> 

> Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWR, Thurston, Washington, US

> Feb 14, 2024 7:37 AM - 3:30 PM

> Protocol: Traveling

> 6.87 mile(s)

> Checklist Comments:     Wednesday Walk. Foggy and mostly cloudy with a steady breeze in the afternoon. Temperatures in the 30’s to 40’s degree’s Fahrenheit. A High 15’4” Tide at 8:39am and a Low 1’6” Tide at 3:22pm. Mammals seen Eastern Cotton-tailed Rabbit, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Mink (seen in slough adjacent to the Twin Barns), Eastern Gray Squirrel and Harbor Seal.

> 72 species (+6 other taxa)

> 

> Brant  40     Puget Sound Observation Platform.

> Cackling Goose (minima)  100

> Canada Goose (moffitti/maxima)  40

> Northern Shoveler  250

> Gadwall  50

> Eurasian Wigeon  3     One in the surge plain, two seen from McAllister Creek Observation Platform.

> American Wigeon  600

> Mallard  300

> Northern Pintail  200

> Green-winged Teal (American)  800

> Ring-necked Duck  3

> Surf Scoter  50

> White-winged Scoter  1     Immature male with Surf Scoters in McAllister Creek.

> Bufflehead  250

> Common Goldeneye  125

> Hooded Merganser  8

> Red-breasted Merganser  30

> Pied-billed Grebe  1     Visitor Center Pond

> Horned Grebe  6

> Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  4

> Mourning Dove  1     Orchard.

> American Coot  125

> Semipalmated Plover  3     Continuing winter resident. Seen in the surge plain north of the Nisqually Estuary Trail.

> Long-billed Dowitcher  8     Flooded field south of Twin Barns.

> Wilson's Snipe  6     Twin Barns Observation Platform.

> Spotted Sandpiper  2     West side of McAllister Creek.

> Greater Yellowlegs  25

> Dunlin  1500

> Least Sandpiper  150     Likely more. Several large sized flocks of 50 plus birds. Seen from Nisqually Estuary Trail and Nisqually Estuary Boardwalk Trail.

> Western Sandpiper  6     Probably more. Several Western Sandpipers mixed in large flock of Dunlin. Smaller and white throated in comparison to Dunlin. Shorter bill and lighter gray back than area Dunlin.

> Short-billed Gull  200

> Ring-billed Gull  75

> Glaucous-winged Gull  1

> Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  15

> Western/Glaucous-winged Gull  20

> Larus sp.  150

> Common Loon  1     Nisqually Reach.

> Brandt's Cormorant  4     Nisqually River Channel Marker.

> Pelagic Cormorant  1

> Double-crested Cormorant  10

> Great Blue Heron  20

> Northern Harrier  3

> Bald Eagle  8

> Red-tailed Hawk  3

> Belted Kingfisher  3

> Red-breasted Sapsucker  1

> Downy Woodpecker  2

> Northern Flicker  2

> Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)  3

> Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted)  1

> Hutton's Vireo  1     Heard only

> American Crow  100

> Common Raven  1

> Black-capped Chickadee  10

> Chestnut-backed Chickadee  2

> Tree Swallow  4

> Barn Swallow  2     Black throated in comparison to Tree Swallows. Dark purple back versus green iridescence of Tree Swallows.

> Ruby-crowned Kinglet  2

> Golden-crowned Kinglet  12

> Brown Creeper  2

> Pacific Wren  4

> Marsh Wren  3

> Bewick's Wren  5

> European Starling  40

> Varied Thrush  3

> American Robin  80

> Pine Siskin  3     Twin Barns Overlook.

> Fox Sparrow (Sooty)  3

> White-crowned Sparrow (pugetensis)  1

> Golden-crowned Sparrow  50

> Song Sparrow  24

> Lincoln's Sparrow  2     Nisqually Estuary Trail.

> Spotted Towhee  6

> Western Meadowlark  1

> Red-winged Blackbird  30

> Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)  2

> Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's)  20

> Townsend's Warbler  1     East side of the Twin Barns Loop Trail.

> 

> View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S161533070

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